Los Angeles • Disney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas. It’s also making a seventh movie in the "Star Wars" series called "Episode 7," set for release in 2015, with plans to follow it with Episodes 8 and 9 and then one new movie every two or three years.

The Walt Disney Co. announced the agreement to make the purchase in cash and stock Tuesday.

The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC.

Kathleen Kennedy, the current co-chairman of Lucasfilm, will become its president and report to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Lucas will be creative consultant on new "Star Wars" films.

Lucas said in a statement, "It’s now time for me to pass ‘Star Wars’ on to a new generation of filmmakers."

10-30-2012, 12:53 PM

TickleMeElmo

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

YOU FUCKIN' NERDS READY OR WHAT?!?

10-30-2012, 12:54 PM

greghead

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EastLos01

Lucas said in a statement, "It’s now time for me to pass ‘Star Wars’ on to a new generation of filmmakers."

Maybe now they'll make new Star Wars films that don't completely suck. Still, weird to think of Lucasfilm as part of Disney.

10-30-2012, 12:57 PM

Sushov23

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

I haven't been this happy about movies in a long time. FUCK YES! STAR WARS ahhhhhhhhhhh. Better not be a fucking remake bro.

10-30-2012, 01:01 PM

menikmati

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Oh, they're trying to make Star Wars relevant again? Yawn.

10-30-2012, 01:02 PM

unit300021

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

It's a lose lose situation for Disney if they actually make the film. First off balance was brought back to the force so if they continue right where they left off then they basically lied in 6 movies. Only real way to pull it off would be a time jump into the future where it became unbalanced again but the problem is, who wants to see a star wars with no Luke, Darth, Han, Yoda, Leah, and Chewy? I for sure don't. I guess you can sill have C3PO and R2D2 but still. No way they make back the 4 billion.

10-30-2012, 01:08 PM

greghead

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

No way they make the money back? I'm guessing you forgot about merchandise and image-licensing. Star Wars shit sells really well.

10-30-2012, 01:13 PM

unit300021

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Yeah I probably did but still 4 billion is a ton to make up, even with the selling rate of Star Wars shit. Especially if episode 7 is a major bust.

10-30-2012, 01:15 PM

amyzzz

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

My friend who loves Star Wars and Disney equally must be going apeshit about now. This could be cool.

Stars Wars has ALWAYS been relevant IMO, but I would say its relevancy as a function of its popularity went back up when the Clone Wars series on Cartoon Network started. The Clove Wars series makes the prequels better.

10-30-2012, 01:21 PM

greghead

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by unit300021

Yeah I probably did but still 4 billion is a ton to make up, even with the selling rate of Star Wars shit. Especially if episode 7 is a major bust.

Yes it is, but it's not just shirts and shit, think about Blu-Ray DVD sets and royalties for all of Lucasfilms movies (American Graffiti, Indiana Jones movies, Labyrinth, and a couple other huge films I'm sure I'm forgetting). Even if the new movie is a total flop, they'll still move merchandise/movie tickets/DVDs with ease. It may take a minute or two, but Disney will turn a nice profit on this deal.

10-30-2012, 01:23 PM

wmgaretjax

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Quote:

Originally Posted by greghead

Yes it is, but it's not just shirts and shit, think about Blu-Ray DVD sets and royalties for all of Lucasfilms movies (American Graffiti, Indiana Jones movies, Labyrinth, and a couple other huge films I'm sure I'm forgetting). Even if the new movie is a total flop, they'll still move merchandise/movie tickets/DVDs with ease. It may take a minute or two, but Disney will turn a nice profit on this deal.

and ILM.

the entire valuation was made on the potential to make money on star wars alone. everything else is icing.

10-30-2012, 01:24 PM

JorgeC

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

I'm hoping for a live-action weekly series. I thought when Clone Wars was being developed that's the direction they were heading in, but i guess the cartoon made more fiscal sense.

Wonder how far in the future 7, 8 and 9 would take place and what kind of source material they'd base it on. Dark Empire? Hopefully no Jedi Academy crap. I'm more of an Old Republic dude, but i'll still be there at every midnight screening no matter what schlock they put up on screen.

10-30-2012, 01:25 PM

amyzzz

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Labyrinth sequel, please.

10-30-2012, 01:37 PM

Alchemy

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Original versions of 4, 5, and 6!? Is it finally going to happen!?

10-30-2012, 01:41 PM

luckyface

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

I'd be more interested in seeing them re-do episodes I - III. Those were pretty shitty.

Any chance they release a movie with Boba Fett as the central character? I think that would be pretty awesome.

10-30-2012, 01:55 PM

Neighborhood Creep

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

3D!

10-30-2012, 02:02 PM

xanman86

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

I wonder if this will speed up the releases of the original 6 in theaters with 3D upgrades. I think A New Hope 3D was supposed to come out in 2015...

10-30-2012, 02:08 PM

cutterbutter

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

They are totally gonna bank in on them both.

COMING 2015: SEE THE FIRS STAR WARS MOVIE IN 3D AND THE BRAND NEW EPISODE 7 IN 3D IN THE SAME YEAR. COMING 2015!

10-30-2012, 02:10 PM

york707

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

And the rides and whatnot at the Disney theme parks.

10-30-2012, 02:17 PM

DFrank

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

They already have a Star Wars ride...which is horrible compared to the older one.

10-30-2012, 02:34 PM

bmack86

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

According to a Forbes article Lucas pulls in $215 million on merchandise. It's not clear, but I assume that's a yearly number. Actually quite a bit smaller than I expected, but still provides a significant incentive.

As far as story goes, there are quite a few books about the future, some of them pretty good. There was one trilogy I recall where, while mining for the crystals that power light sabers, the jedis come upon a really good new villain. It was set about 20-30 years after the Return of the Jedi and all the main characters were still in it. That would actually make a decent Episode 7 if they did it well.

10-30-2012, 02:42 PM

cutterbutter

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Mark Hamill coming back to play old luke... please no.

10-30-2012, 02:44 PM

Alchemy

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

In the video where Lucas talks about the sell, he mentioned passing on his treatments for 7, 8, and 9 to the Disney folk. I wonder how much weight those treatments have, or if Disney will let them collect dust and just use the other (probably better) material that's out there.

10-30-2012, 03:11 PM

Aphxtwinin

Re: Star Wars Ep. 7 coming soon to a theater near you.

Episodes 7,8,9 are basically written already through the various book series...Han and Leia have twins (Anakin and I forget the girls name), Luke slips to the Dark Side in his exploration of the full power of the force, starts Sith Order again, Anakin Solo and Sister becomes Jedis and defeat their Uncle Luke (not sure if he dies)...Peace returns to the galaxy.